Tree harvesting operations include, inter alia, the felling of trees to be harvested and the delimbing of the felled trees.
Presently, the operations of felling and delimbing trees are either performed manually or by the use of highly specialized machines. In the former case, by the manual is use of an axe or mechanical saw, the trees are first felled and are then delimbed. Such manual operations require considerable time and is only minimally cost effective. The latter case, while being much quicker, requires the use of specialized machines which are rather complicated, of large size and are quite expensive. Hence, where a smaller logging operation is involved (such as a family operation) such equipment is rather impractical and is of limited cost effectiveness, especially when the market prices for lumber are low.
It has been recognized that it would be desirable to provide simpler tree felling and delimbing devices. Various types of tree feller and delimbing devices of which I am aware are listed as follows:
______________________________________ Inventor(s) Patent No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Taylor et al 2,505,923 1950 Bombardier 2,989,097 1961 Boyd et al 3,590,760 1971 McCabe 3,809,134 1974 Saarenketo 3,974,866 1976 Bakowski 4,056,134 1977 Dressler et al 4,124,047 1978 Sigouin 4,582,104 1986. ______________________________________
Unfortunately, all of the above-noted references are still either rather expensive and/or complicated. Also, the delimbing devices and feller heads of these devices have limited lateral and/or transverse movement. Thus, during the felling and delimbing operations, movement of the tree being felled and delimbed results in the device binding and digging into the tree. This can result in damage, at least in part, to the tree which further limits the cost effectiveness of these devices.
Thus, it can be seen that there remains a need for tree felling and delimbing devices which are simple, relatively cheap, adapted to be readily secured to and removed from conventional devices, such as a skidder blade commonly utilized in most logging operations (even in small operations) and in which the delimbing device is able to freely float, so as to follow the movement of the tree being delimbed without binding and digging into the tree.